A Bad Day at Golf

Just so y’all know, I’m gonna tell all- both the good and the bad. And yesterday was a bad day at golf. Some days I don’t know why I play. Like medicine, you don’t have much control over it.

It started on the first hole. I did the rational thing and hit three-wood to keep the creek outta play. I hit it good, but it hooked a little and somehow wound up behind a tree on the left side of the fairway. I don’t know how it did that. Everyone knows the ball will drift back to the right there even if you hook it, but it didn’t listen. (Lee Trevino says you can talk to a fade but a hook won’t listen.) I almost got a par, but the four footer lipped out. I putted it the way I meant to, and it should break left from above the hole. This time it didn’t take the break and went straight.

I went along good a few holes, then three putted an easy hole for a bogey, then flew one down the hill on the right side at number eight and made double. I know better than to go there- I hadn’t been in that spot in ten years.

After a par on nine and a burger at the turn, I got my confidence back, but hit one in the trees on the right then three putted again and started out with a double. Still I fought my my back, made some pars and thought we had a chance when we got to eighteen. By then I was confident again. The tees were up, and the wind was at our back. If you hit a big drive you can blow it right over the tree on the right and cut the dog leg. It was my routine play as a kid. I hit it solid, and the ball was still rising when it clipped the top branch and fell dead. I think that tree has grown a bunch since I was a kid.

I tried to cut it around and get on the green, hit another tree, landed behind it and was stymied one last time for the day. Another double bogey. 84- yuck. There was no mad money for Marfar in the County yesterday.

It was a bad day of golf, but then no one died, I didn’t have to tell anyone they had cancer, and I didn’t even get cussed out. My Marfar sensed my disappointment, but I didn’t say anything. I’d feel guilty for complaining over trivia. I told her I was gonna go over to the Nursing Home and visit Indie and she said she’d pull out a couple of steaks to put on the grill for when I got back.

As Cary Middlecoff said, “I don’t worry over four foot putts. If I miss, my wife still loves me, and we’re eating steak tonight.” My Marfar knows me well, and she is a smart woman. And she is right- it is only a game, not brain surgery. Besides, I’m gonna play better next week.

14 Comments on “A Bad Day at Golf”

As a former golfer, I can relate to your feelings about your day. I became a golfer so my husband and I could spend more time together. He had played for awhile on his company’s league. The plan was that we would play together on the weekends. What actually happened was that we would meet 2 or 3 other couples, then the men would take off as a group and the women as a group. We did spend the 30-minute ride to the course together…alone.

You’re lucky to have an understanding wife. I’ve enjoyed browsing around your blog.

I heard that the world briefly stopped rotating in it’s usually direction and spun the other way for a bit. That would explain your bad golf day as well as the unusual number of car accidents and near misses I saw yesterday.
As you know, golf is a mental game. Don’t let it get ya down!
-Auntie

Why do they call it golf? Because all the other four letter words were taken. If you expect me to feel sorry for your day, take three reality pills and call me in the morning. I can’t remember the other half of “A bad day on the golf course is like…..” but I remember it’s better than most other good days. – Ted

NOW I know why I was fading the ball yesterday. It was the gravitational pull. You made my day kid. In the time honored tradition of golfers, (esp us ego nutty males) I gotta have something to blame it on other than human fraility.

Dr. B – Thanks for your comment on my blog. I appreciate your advice, especially the part about betting money! : ) I will give it a few (10) years before I get too frustrated. Actually, after posting that, I went out and had my best round ever yesterday.

My wife and I are also bluegrass fans so I will come back to visit from time to time to give your blog a read.